In A Moment, Everything Can Change
by fffan231
Summary: AAML. Ash and Misty are travelling by themselves while Brock is away, and Misty wants to tell Ash how she feels about him. But when she loses her temper and says things she doesn't mean, what will happen to them? Please review.
1. Chapter 1

Well, here's another AAML. This has no connections to any of my other stories. Again, I don't have May or Max, and Misty still has Togepi. Please read, review and enjoy.

Ages:

Ash: 16

Misty: 17

- - - - -

Ash and Misty walked through a shaded forest full of thin trees in Hoenn, trying to find their way to the next Pokemon Center so they could rest. It was just the two of them because Brock went home for a while to attend a party for his parents' anniversary. He said that Ash and Misty could come, but Ash, even though he appreciated the invitation, didn't want to get to far behind in his training. The trip to Kanto, the party, and the trip back would take too long. Misty said she wanted to stay to keep an eye on Ash; but she really just wanted to be alone with him.

Because Brock was always the peacekeeper when Ash and Misty started their usual arguments, his absence gave them a chance to fight almost nonstop. Misty would get frustrated, wishing that she could control her temper and stop fighting with him. She really just wanted to tell him how she really felt; she wanted to tell him she loved him.

Luckily, right now was one of the few times they were getting along. But with these two, it was only a matter of time until they started fighting again.

Misty held the map in one hand and her baby egg pokemon Togepi in her other arm. She turned the map upside down, then upright. The light that streamed down through the treetops gave enough light to read it.

_Ugh, this map is so stupid,_ she thought, turning it again. _There's no words, it's just a bunch of lines…_ Luckily, she did know where they were on the map, it was just hard to tell which way to go.

Misty stopped walking and looked at it. Her eyebrows knitted and she said, "Um… I think it's this way."

Ash was tagging behind her, with his electric mouse Pikachu walking next to him, looking through the trees to see if he could find a better route. At her words, Ash caught up with her and looked at the map in her hand.

"Where?" he asked. Pikachu bounded up next to him, cocking his head as he watched the two humans try to decide the way to go.

"Right there," Misty said, making a small head gesture toward a brown line on the map because she didn't have a free hand. "I think that line is the route that takes out of the forest."

Ash saw it, and followed it with his eyes. It looked like a long route, but from what he could tell, it would take them to the Pokemon Center, which was shaped like a little box on the map.

His eyes wandered back down the line, and a blue line caught his eye. It took a different direction through the forest, it was smaller, and looked like it lead to the Pokemon Center.

"What about that way?" Ash said, pointing at the line. "That looks a lot shorter."

Misty looked at the line and followed it. He was right; it was shorter. She frowned slightly, as if trying to decide if it was still the right way. She looked in the direction they were walking, toward the line that she pointed at. A lot of light streamed through the treetops, and the trees looked like they started to thin, making it seem like a road was about to start. She then turned her head in the direction of the line Ash pointed at. It looked darker, and the trees were just as thick as they were here.

"I don't know, Ash…" Misty said, looking at the dark trees doubtfully. "It's shorter, but… it doesn't look right."

"Aww, come on, Misty," Ash said. "You want to get to the Pokemon Center faster, don't you?" Misty sighed as she considered, then looked at him. He was almost frowning.

_Uh-oh… _she thought. _He's got that stubborn look again…_It was a long day, and she wasn't in the mood for fighting, so she tried to control her temper. _If I keep arguing with him, I'll never be able to tell him how I feel… If I can even get the guts…_

Trying to sound calm and convincing, Misty said, "Yes, Ash, I do, but that route looks dangerous." She gestured at the route she saw. "I think we should go this way."

Ash looked at the map, then glanced at the route. He frowned, then looked at her. Pikachu gulped, hoping there wasn't a fight in the making.

"What do you mean dangerous?" He looked through the trees in the direction he had pointed at. "It looks fine." He looked back at Misty. She still looked unsure.

Ash frowned again, trying to convince her that it would save them time. "How do you even know the way we're going is the right way?" he asked, but not offensively.

_Ugh, here we go again…_ Misty thought. She knew that he didn't mean it offensively, so she said calmly, "Well, how do you know _that_ way is the right way?" Without thinking, she continued. "I think I can probably read the map better than you."

Ash looked offended. He folded his arms and said, "What makes you think that? You've got us lost a million times!"

Misty's face scrunched up. _That's it, you little twerp. _She clenched her fist, crumpling part of the map, and anger began to rise in her chest. Pikachu put a paw on his head and sweatdropped, knowing all too well what was coming.

"What are you talking about!?" Misty shouted. "YOU were the one who always got us lost!"

Ash frowned further, unfolded his arms, and clenched his fists. "I was not! You just don't know how to read a map!"

"And you DO!?" Misty yelled, taking a step toward him. "YOU were always the one trying to read the map, or act like you knew where you were going when we got lost!" Pikachu put up both paws, and gestured in a calming way, trying to make them stop. Togepi whimpered as her mother yelled.

Ignoring his yellow friend, Ash took a step closer to Misty, making their faces inches apart. "I was not!"

"You were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!'

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were no-"

The words were stopped as Pikachu released a powerful thunderbolt, engulfing Ash in yellow light. He screamed in agony as the attack coursed through his body. When it stopped, Ash lay on the ground, his clothes covered in scorch marks.

Misty winced as she saw him heaped on the ground. Guilt joined the anger in her chest because she had started the fight.

She sighed and shook her head. _See what you're doing Misty? Instead of telling him you love him, you fight with him, and he gets hurt. Just learn to control your temper…_The anger she was directing at him started to be directed at herself.

Just before she could ask him if he was ok, Ash jumped up onto his feet, clenched his fists and glared at the yellow mouse who shocked him.

"Pikachu! What did you do that for!?" he asked angrily.

Pikachu frowned, and wagged a finger at him. "Pikapi! Pika Pika Pikachu Pikachupi! Pikachu!"

Realizing that Ash was ok, Misty just stood there, listening to the conversation. She didn't know what Pikachu was saying, although she recognized Ash's name and her own.

Ash pointed at Misty without looking at her, making her slightly jump. "Then why didn't you shock Misty, too!?" he retorted. The comment made Misty gulp.

"Pika Pika Pikachupi Pika Pika Pipipi, Pikachu!" Pikachu said, now folding his own little arms.

Ash's anger left his face, and was replaced with a smirk. He lowered his pointing finger and chuckled.

Misty eyed him. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know, but asked, "What's so funny?"

Ash adjusted his hat and looked at her. "The only reason Pikachu didn't shock you too is because he didn't want to hurt Togepi," he said mockingly.

Misty gulped again. _He's making that up,_ she thought. She looked at Pikachu. He nodded in affirmation, and gave her a warning look. Misty smiled nervously. Ash laughed at the look on her face, then turned around and started walking away.

Misty blinked as she watched him go. "Hey! Where are you going!?"

Ash turned around and looked at her. "I'm taking the shortcut to the Pokemon Center. Now come on!"

Misty sighed in frustration, then rolled her eyes. _He drives me crazy… he has such a thick head and he's so stubborn._

Shaking her head, she put the map in her bag, decided to give in, and followed him as he walked through the woods. She knew she couldn't win against his stubbornness. Pikachu sighed, and bounded after them.

Ash walked ahead with Pikachu now on his shoulder. Misty stayed in the back, still having slight anger with him, but most of it at herself. They walked in silence, keeping to their own thoughts. Pikachu looked at Ash, then looked behind him at Misty, then back again. He sighed sadly, and shook his head.

_I have to stop yelling at him…_Misty told herself. She stared blankly at the ground next to her. _I don't know why it's so hard to stop…_ She sighed. _I guess it's because I automatically defend myself with anger because my sisters always made fun of me…_

Ash turned his head briefly to look at Misty. She was looking aside, a thoughtful look on her face. Ash looked ahead of himself so she wouldn't catch him looking at her.

"Pikapi? Pika Pikachu? (Ash? Are you ok?)" Pikachu asked quietly.

"Hmmm? Oh, I'm ok, buddy," Ash said in a low voice so Misty wouldn't hear him. Pikachu folded his arms and frowned, not believing his trainer.

Ash noticed and chuckled. "Oh come on, you already know what the problem is." Pikachu cocked his head.

Ash sighed. "You know I'm sick of fighting with Misty. I just wish I could have the guts to tell her… you know…" Pikachu smirked, and stared at Ash. He stared him down, and wanted him to say it.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Ok…" his face went pink. "I wish I could tell her that I love her… Happy?" Pikachu smiled teasingly and nodded.

Ash looked ahead of himself. He briefly scratched the back of his head before saying, "Well, the only reason I fight with her is so she won't figure it out…" He frowned. "But now I think we're just fighting too much…"

Pikachu frowned sympathetically, then patted Ash's head with a paw. "Pika Pika Pikapi. (It'll be ok, Ash.)"

Ash smiled. "I hope so."

Pikachu nodded as Ash returned his attention to his destination.

The electric mouse looked back and forth at the trainers again, then sweatdropped with a sigh. He hated that the two couldn't just tell each other how they felt, and neither of them could figure out that the other felt the same. It frustrated him, and made him sad.

They continued to walk through the trees, the only sound the crunching of leaves under their feet, and the occasional chirp from Togepi.

Before long, the sound of rushing water reached their ears. The two young teens stopped and listened intently, squinting their eyes with confusion. Pikachu's ears twitched as he looked around for the source of the sound. After a few seconds, Misty ran up to Ash and stood next to him. They looked at each other, both seeming to forget their earlier argument, and walked forward, where the sound was coming from.

The sound got louder and louder until they could hear it over the leaves under their feet. Before long, they finally found its source. The ground they stood on ended abruptly, and dropped fifty feet until it hit a rushing river. The deep crevice stretched about twenty feet before reaching the other side.

Misty looked around the woods that surrounded them, then looked back down at the water. Her frustration began to build. _I told him…_she fumed. _I told him this way was a bad idea._ She took a breath._ He just doesn't listen. He's so stubborn, I hate it when he doesn't listen…_ She couldn't contain herself any longer.

She abruptly turned to him and yelled, "You see!?" Ash jumped in surprise at the sudden outburst and looked at her with wide eyes. Pikachu hid his face behind Ash's head. "You didn't listen to me, and now look where we are!" She pointed at the river. "How are we supposed to get across this!?"

Ash gulped nervously under her stare and glanced at Pikachu. He looked back at her and asked questioningly, "What are you so worried about?" He turned to the river and looked to his left. His eyes followed the shore until they stopped on something. He saw a dead tree that stretched from their side to the other like a bridge.

Deciding that was the way, he walked the few yards down to it, turned to Misty and said, "We can cross it on this."

Misty's eyes widened. "Are you crazy!?" she said, thinking it was a terrible idea. "We can't cross that!" Her eyes wandered to the fast moving water, and she began to feel nauseous at the height. "It's dangerous!"

"It is not," Ash said confidently. "Watch." Before Misty could stop him, he set a foot on the log, pressed down to test it, then took a step across, now with both feet on it.

"Ash, no!" Misty said running to the log. She wanted to stop him, but when she got there, she was too scared to move and he was too far away to reach.

"It's too dangerous!" she said desperately, her heart beating quickly. "Come back, please!" she begged. "You'll fall!"

Ash didn't listen. He held his arms slightly at his sides for balance, trying to keep his eyes on the opposite shore. Pikachu held tightly onto Ash's hat, shaking as he eyed the water below. He was scared, but he trusted Ash, so he didn't try to stop him.

Misty just watched, her heart pounding as thoughts of something happening to him played in her head.

When Ash was about halfway across, he took another step and his shoe slipped as he stepped on a slimy part of the log. His stomach jumped into his throat as he started to lose his balance.

Misty gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. "Ash, be careful!" she called, knowing she couldn't help him and frantically hoping that he wouldn't fall.

Ash managed to bring his loose foot back onto the log and steady himself. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart as it beat quickly at the scare of the close call, and continued forward.

Misty continued to watch, her eyes never leaving him. Her heart felt like it would burst as she thought about what would happen if he fell.

Finally, Ash put one foot onto the other side, then took a small leap to get his other foot on it.

Misty sighed in relief. _Why does he do that?_ she thought with exasperation. She closed her eyes and tried to force her heart to stop beating so fast. _He always gets in trouble and almost gets himself killed…_ _He's gonna give me a heart attack one of these days… _

Ash glanced at the water below and smiled at his success. As Pikachu loosened his grip on his hat and sighed with relief, Ash looked at Misty on the other side.

"See? It's easy!" he called across the river. He beckoned her on with a hand. "Now come on!"

Misty's eyes shot up and looked at him. _Easy!? You almost fell!_ she was about to yell; but she stopped herself. She knew yelling at him wouldn't do any good, and she needed to stop doing it all the time.

"Misty, come on! It'll be fine!" Ash called, using his hands to amplify his voice. His tone was encouraging.

Misty gulped. She didn't want to cross, but she knew she had to; Ash wouldn't come back, and she didn't want him to cross again, too afraid that he might fall this time.

Trying to calm her nauseous stomach, Misty paused long enough to put Togepi in her bag to keep her safe, then eyed the log. She took a breath and hesitantly put a foot on it.

She froze as she looked at the water below. Her heart sounded in her ears, and she didn't want to move.

"Just don't look down!' Ash called. Pikachu waved his small arms and joined Ash's encouragement.

At his words, Misty's eyes shot up, and looked into his. His russet eyes sparkled with support, a sweet smile spreading across his lips.

Misty's stomach burned as she saw his eyes. _Well, he's being really supportive…_ she thought. _…Maybe I can do it._ Summoning some courage, she smiled and took another step.

Now that she was standing on the log, she realized it wasn't too bad; if she just kept her eyes on Ash's, she knew she could make it.

She took his advice and didn't look down; she just tried to watch him as he beckoned her on with support.

Finally, she was almost to the other side. When she was about a foot away, she was surprised as Ash took a step forward and reached a hand out to her. Misty stopped walking and looked at his hand, then back at him. He smiled sweetly, and she saw that he really wanted to help. She smiled back and took his hand.

As soon as they touched, her stomach burned hotter. She tried not to blush and looked at the log so she could hide her red face.

Ash led her the rest of the way, and Misty's feet were finally back on the ground.

Ash let go of her hand, and she bent down slightly and tried to catch her breath, her heart beating quickly.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Ash asked with a smile.

Misty looked at him. She still thought it was a dangerous thing to do, but with his support, it was easy.

She smiled. "No, it wasn't that bad."

Ash nodded. "Ok, let's go." He turned around and continued walking. Misty grinned and followed him.

Misty got the map back out of her bag after a few minutes. Togepi was taking a nap, so she left her in the bag. When she looked at the map, it was hard to tell if they were on the right path. She looked around at the surrounding trees, then back at the map to try and confirm where they were. She started to feel a bit panicky; it was almost impossible to know if they were going the right way.

Misty didn't know how long they were walking, but something wasn't right. When she looked at the map, she realized that, according to the length of the shortcut, they should have been out of the woods by now.

Finally, the trees began to thin. Misty noticed, and started to feel relieved. Hopefully, the Pokemon Center was up ahead and they could finally leave all these woods.

When they finally got out of the trees, they found themselves on a dirt road. It stretched about ten feet across, then more trees started on the other side. The two teens glanced up and down the road with confusion, trying to figure out why they couldn't see the Center.

Misty's head whipped back and forth, looking at the road. She looked back at the map; she looked at the line and followed it, trying to figure out why they hadn't reached their destination.

She froze as her eyes met the middle of the line. She stared at it and saw that it didn't lead there; it turned to the side and lead to another route that was farther away.

_I can't believe this… _she fumed, her face beginning to burn with anger. _He just had to pick the route that takes us farther away from the Pokemon Center…_She felt like she was going to lose it; she started to get so angry with him. Why couldn't he just listen? The map was hard to read, but she knew where to go; but instead, she let herself be dragged along on another one of his stupid 'shortcuts', and they didn't have any idea where they were.

Ash looked up and down the road, scratching his head with a dumbfounded look on his face. Pikachu jumped off his shoulder and looked up and down the road, confused at their location.

Ash turned around and looked at Misty. "Uh… where are we?" he asked. She just stood there, staring at the map.

Ash's eyebrows met in confusion at the look on her face. "Misty? Where are we?"

Misty looked up from the map and looked at him, her face red with anger. She was sick of it; she couldn't stand it anymore.

"You picked this route! Why don't _you _tell _me _where we are!?"

Ash stepped back quickly in fear. He was used to her yelling at him, but her voice seemed full of so much venom, it scared him. Even Pikachu seemed scared; he covered his ears and stared at Misty with fear in his eyes.

Ash gulped and stared at her, trying to decide if responding was a good idea. Not sure what else to say, he said, "You're the one with the map! You should know where we are!"

Misty formed her hand into a fist, crumpling the map again. She swiftly shoved the map back into her bag, luckily without disturbing Togepi. She slung it back on her shoulder and stared at him. "You were the one who acted like you knew where we were going!" she snapped. "You got us lost again!"

"I did not!" Ash retorted, some of his fear disappearing as he tried to defend himself. "And we're not lost!" He fumbled over his thoughts and tried to think of what to say. "We just took a wrong turn, or maybe we-"

"ASH, YOU'RE SO DENSE!!!"

Misty's outburst made Ash clamp his mouth shut instantly as his heart made an uncomfortable jump in his chest. Pikachu cringed.

Misty breathed heavily as she boiled with anger. She couldn't take it anymore.

"You're so helpless!" she said in an accusing voice. "You think you know everything, and we always get lost because of you!" She took a step toward him. He stepped back, fear building in his eyes and chest. She looked like she was going to kill him.

Misty continued to yell, not holding back any of the frustration he had caused her. "You're stubborn, you're thickheaded, and you never listen! I don't know why I even bother with you!" She waved her hand. "Why don't you just go off on your own if you're so smart, Mr. Pokemon Master!? See if anybody besides me cares, and will put up with your stupidity! You drive me nuts, Ash Ketchum!"

A deathly silence followed her words. Misty sighed heavily, trying to catch her breath. Her heart beat quickly as her anger still fumed, although the yelling made her feel better.

As Misty's words sunk in, Ash's face fell. His heart felt uncomfortable as it beat oddly in his chest, and a lump quickly formed in his throat. It hurt as he took a small breath, and his eyes felt hot as they began to moisten.

As soon as Misty noticed, all of her rage disappeared. She just stared at him, her only feelings pure guilt at how much she had just hurt him with her brutal words, and hate at herself for daring to hurt the one she loved so much.

_No…_ she though desperately, wishing she hadn't said any of the things she had just yelled. _I… I can't believe I just…_ Her heart sank. _Why did I do that…? _

_She… she thinks I'm stupid?_ Ash thought, his hands starting to shake. _I… I know sometimes I can be… but…_He took a shuddering breath.

_She… hates me… _He closed his eyes, and a tear fell down his cheek. _She hates me… she doesn't want me around…_

A lump formed in Misty's throat, and her heart broke as she saw the tear fall down his cheek. She started to shake involuntarily, and her own eyes became wet.

She took a quivering breath and tried to force words past the painful lump. "Ash, I…"

Before she could continue, Ash turned around and ran away. Pikachu looked at Misty sadly, tears in his eyes, then ran after him.

"Ash! Wait!" Misty called. She started chasing after him. It was hard to run as the lump and the guilt made it hard to breathe. All she could think about was how much she hurt him, and how much she hated herself for doing it.

"Ash!" Misty yelled, trying desperately to make him listen. "Wait!" But the more she called, the faster he seemed to run.

Misty finally slowed. She gradually came to a stop as the difficulty to breathe worsened as she sobbed, tears beginning to spill out of her eyes. Her legs buckled and she fell to her knees, choking for air.

She hung her face over the ground, and closed her eyes tight, trying to control her shaking limbs.

"Ash…" she choked. "I'm sorry…"

- - - - -

Second and last chapter will be up soon. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Ash ran as fast as he could down the dirt road, not caring as his tears blurred his vision. Misty words kept replaying in his head, making his need to get away from her grow and give him more energy to keep running, not feeling it as his body told him he was exhausting it.

He didn't know how long he was running; it started to get dark when he finally began to feel his body's fatigued message.

He slowed, then fell to his knees and held himself up with shaking arms, unable to breath through his sobs and exhaustion. He managed to get himself into a sitting position, then buried his face on his knees, heaving for breath.

After a few minutes, his breath became steady, but his tears didn't stop.

_We fought a lot, but I didn't know how much she hated me…_ he thought. As he thought about how much he loved her, and that her feelings for him were hate, he felt like he was going to throw up. _I can't believe it… she doesn't even want me around…_

Just then, he heard a small padding coming down the road, the way he had come from. He slowly lifted his tired head to see what it was. It sounded for a few more seconds until Pikachu came into sight, running to him on all fours.

"Pikapi! (Ash!)" he called. The little electric mouse came to a stop in front of his trainer, then plopped onto his stomach, breathing heavily.

After a few seconds, the small pokemon regained his breath, and got into a sitting position. He closed his eyes to rest as he took a few deep breaths, then looked at his trainer.

"Pikapi…? Pika Pikachu? (Ash…? Are you ok?)" Pikachu asked softly, his eyes now full of worry and giving complete attention to his trainer.

Ash looked at him. The lump in his throat wouldn't let him talk, so he looked away without answering.

Pikachu's ears drooped. He got onto all fours and walked over to his trainer. He stopped in front of him, then lifted his front paws and stood on his back ones.

Ash took a shuddering breath. He swallowed the hard lump and said, "She hates me, Pikachu…" He kept his gaze away from the pokemon.

"I bet she never even wanted me around." He closed his eyes as the thought pained him. "She only followed me because of her bike…"

Pikachu's eyes glistened and he put a paw on his trainer's leg. Ash looked at him.

"Pikapi, Pikachupi Pika Pika Pikachu Pi Pikachu. Pika Pika Pikachu. (Ash, Misty didn't mean those things she said. She was just mad.)" Pikachu said softly, honestly believing his own words.

Ash slightly frowned. "How would you know?" he asked, another tear falling down his cheek. "She sounded serious to me…" A sharp pain entered his chest. "Then again, I'm too stupid to know anything…"

Pikachu's ears drooped further. "Pikapi- (Ash-)"

"Don't you know how much this hurts!?" Ash yelled, doing nothing to stop the fresh flow of tears from escaping his eyes. "Don't you realize how much she means to me!?" The outburst just pained his chest more, so he closed his eyes and looked away. He took a few deep breaths to calm his fast beating heart.

"You know how I feel about her…" he choked. He buried his face into his knees. "I…" He couldn't continue, and broke down into sobs.

Tears fell out of Pikachu's glistening eyes and he walked to his trainer's side. He hugged his arm tightly, trying to comfort him as much as he could. Ash picked up the small pokemon and hugged him tightly, crying into his fur. The electric mouse just hugged his trainer, and patted his back with a small paw.

After a few minutes, Ash's hysterical sobs finally exhausted him. He blindly laid down on the ground as his vision blurred, the exhaustion of feeling so much pain in one day took over him. His eyes closed, and he fell into a fitful sleep.

- - - - -

Misty walked forward blindly, not even seeing the path in front of her as she continued to follow Ash. She held Togepi tightly in her arms. The small egg pokemon got upset after hearing all the yelling, so Misty got her out of her bag and held her. The pokemon chirped, having no idea what was going on.

_I can't believe I said that…_ she thought, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest. Dry tears covered her face, and she continued to hate herself for hurting the one she loved.

_I'm the one with the problem not him…_ she thought, wanting to put all the blame on herself. She really did believe that she was the only problem.

_Sure, he can be a little stubborn, but I'm the one who always loses my temper, and can't even be nice to the guy I'm in love with… _Another tear fell down her cheek.

_I guess I am pathetic… My sisters were right…_

She continued to walk blindly, putting herself down more and more as the sun began to set. She would have kept walking, not realizing how late it was getting, but she was pulled from her thoughts as Togepi began to cry.

"It's ok, Togepi," Misty said in the most soothing voice she could manage in her current state. "I know you're hungry, just wait…"

She found a small spot covered in grass between the road and the woods. She sat down and hugged her tightly as she got her bag off her shoulder. She got some food, and gave it to Togepi piece by piece. She managed a true smile as the small egg pokemon ate it gratefully.

Misty didn't eat. Her stomach felt too nauseous, and the thought made her feel worse.

When she was done, Togepi yawned. Misty picked her up and cuddled her, getting ready to rock her to sleep. Togepi chirped happily, then looked around.

The little egg pokemon's eyes started to tear up as she couldn't see what she was looking for. "Toge? Toge Togepriii? (Mommy? Where's daddy?)"

A pain shot in Misty's chest and she froze. She stared at the little pokemon who looked up at her and waited for an answer. She never knew that Togepi thought of Ash that way. The thought made her feel even worse that she had chased him off and that he'd probably never come back.

She closed her eyes as she felt hot tears fill them. Trying to keep her voice calm, she said softly, "He's not here right now… He'll be back… Just go to sleep." She felt like she was lying, but just gently rocked the baby pokemon.

Togepi chirped, believing her mother's words, then yawned again. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Misty slowly lowered herself to the ground and lay on her side. Even though she felt guilty, she was exhausted.

_I'll find you Ash…_Misty thought, trying to convince herself that she would._ I'm sorry…_ She closed her eyes, and a tear fell down her cheek.

_I love you…_

_- - - - -_

Ash warily opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, so he blinked to clear it. When he did, he could see that it was light. He felt a small soft body next to him and looked down. Pikachu was curled up next to him, fast asleep.

Ash took a breath and looked around himself. He was lying on the side of the dirt road where he sat last night. Inevitably, he remembered his reason for being there. Replaying the previous days events in his head made his eyes moisten. He didn't have any inclination to move.

Pikachu stirred, then opened his small eyes. He yawned, then got onto his paws and arched his back in a stretch. He shook his head, then looked at Ash.

"Pikachu Pika Pikapi. (Good morning, Ash.)" Pikachu said with a smile, waving a small paw to lighten the mood.

Ash barely managed a small smile. "Hey Pikachu."

Pikachu's ears drooped as he saw his trainer's eyes wet. He looked away as he tried to think of what to do. They perked back up as he thought of something, then ran behind Ash. He unzipped the backpack that was still on Ash's back, pulled out some food, and brought it around.

He held it out to his trainer with a smile. " Pika Pikapi. (Here Ash.)"

Ash ignored the offer and started sitting up. He groaned; his whole body was sore. He had pushed it to the limit when he ran for hours, not letting himself rest.

He got himself into a sitting position, and tried to hold himself up as his muscles ached. He continued to look away from Pikachu. "No thanks. I'm not hungry."

Pikachu's ears drooped again. "Pikapi, Pika Pika Pikachu. Pika Pika Pikachu Pika Pikachu Pika, Pikachu. (Ash, you have to eat. If you're as exhausted as you look, you won't be able to walk if you don't.)"

Ash was ready to refuse again; his body and heart hurt, and he almost wanted to yell at the pokemon to leave him alone. But he told himself that Pikachu was only trying to help.

Ash turned his head toward his friend and sighed. He hesitated, then accepted the food from Pikachu.

"Thanks, buddy," he said. Pikachu smiled, and got more food for himself out of Ash's bag. He sat down happily by his trainer, and they sat together for a few minutes as they ate.

When they were done, Ash had to admit he felt better. His stomach still felt sick, but at least the hunger was gone.

Pikachu watched his trainer for a while, wondering what would happen now, and if he felt better. After a minute, he said, "Pikapi? Pika Pika Pikachu? (Ash? What are we gonna do now?)"

Ash looked at his electric mouse. He considered it, then said, "I guess we'll try to find the Pokemon Center."

Pikachu looked sad. He cocked his head in question and asked, "Pika Pikachu Pika Pikachupi? (But what about Misty?)"

A lump formed in Ash's throat as he heard Misty's name. He tried to push away the things she said, and tried not to think about how much she hated him.

Ash blinked to keep his tears from falling, then said, "She'll be fine." His heart felt heavy. "If I leave her alone, I'll be doing her a favor."

Pikachu's ears drooped and he looked down. He knew that Misty didn't mean all the things she said about Ash; he knew that she felt the same way about him that he did about her. But, even in this situation, he didn't think it was his place to say; Misty had to be the one to say it.

Not knowing what else to do, the little mouse stood on his feet and said, "Pika… (Ok…)."

Without another word, Ash started to stand up. He winced as his sore muscles pained him, and tried to refuse to let him get up. He tried his best to ignore it and slowly got onto his feet.

When he did, he closed his eyes for a minute to make his head stop spinning. When it did, he looked down the road in the direction he came from.

_I'm sorry I couldn't be less dense, Misty,_ he thought. _But if what you want is for me to leave, that's what I'll do. _He swallowed the lump in his throat, then turned in the opposite direction and started walking away.

_I love you…_

- - - - -

The first thing Misty noticed when she woke up was that her head hurt. She refused to open her eyes as her head pulsed painfully with her heartbeat.

She finally forced her eyes to crack open, and was almost blinded by bright sunlight. She squinted for a second, then opened them all the way.

She was till where she had fallen asleep last night, Togepi sleeping peacefully in her arms. The previous days events inevitably came back into her head, and her chest began to pain with the guilt. She took a shuddering breath as she started hating herself again.

With desperation, she lifted her head and looked all around her. No one but her and Togepi were there.

Misty stifled a sob and laid her head back down. She forced herself not to let her tears fall. _What if he doesn't come back…? _she thought, making herself panic. She became angry with herself. _Why would he want to after my little rant?_ she berated herself. She closed her eyes for a minute to calm herself. Her headache finally began to soften, so she could think more clearly.

_I don't know where he is, but I'm gonna find him,_ she firmly told herself. She sighed. _I'm gonna tell him I'm sorry, and that… I love him._

Just then, Misty looked down as Togepi woke up with a small yawn. Almost immediately, the baby pokemon started crying as she felt her stomach tell her it was hungry.

Misty smiled in spite of herself at the baby pokemon. "Ok, hang on," she said softly. She lifted herself up and sat with her legs crossed and Togepi in her lap. The sitting position helped to soften the pain in her head, but not her chest.

She opened her bag and got out some food. She broke it into pieces and gave it to Togepi, who accepted it gratefully. The baby pokemon chirped in delight as her hunger was satisfied.

Misty didn't even want to think about food; the thought was revolting. But her grumbling stomach wouldn't let her forget. She managed to make herself eat enough for it to stop hurting. She didn't think much as she did, but just hoped Togepi wouldn't ask about 'Daddy' again.

When they were done, Misty pulled herself onto her feet. Her long, aimless walking left her legs a little sore, but she knew she'd be able to keep going. She slung her bag over her shoulder, then picked up Togepi. She cuddled her in her arms, and looked in the direction Ash ran.

Togepi chirped with a big smile and looked up at her mother. "Toge Toge Togeprii?" (Is daddy here now?)

Misty closed her eyes and stopped her tears as the pokemon mentioned Ash. She now realized that she wasn't just hurting Ash; she was hurting Togepi too. The baby pokemon obviously needed him as much as she needed Misty, feeling that he was her parent just as much as Misty was.

She managed to keep her voice calm and smile at her baby pokemon. "We're gonna go find him, Togepi," she said. Togepi waved her little arms happily and chirped. Misty looked at the trail ahead of her and started off on her way to find Ash.

- - - - -

After about an hour of walking, Ash's body began to feel less sore, but making it walk was making him tired. He didn't want to stop though; he just wanted to make it to the Pokemon Center, then figure out what he was going to do. He'd probably just continue his journey, although his heart wasn't in it at the moment. He was at least going to make sure that he'd never have to bother Misty again.

Pikachu walked by his trainer's side, watching him with a protective and worried eye. The electric mouse noticed the fatigue on his friend's face and said, "Pikapi? Pika Pika Pikachu Pika? (Ash? Do you want to stop and rest?)"

Ash stifled a groan as his head pulsed. "No, I'm ok Pikachu," Ash said without looking at him.

Pikachu wasn't convinced. He jumped in front of his trainer's path and folded his arms playfully. Ash stopped and looked at him.

Pikachu looked at his trainer's face with a mix of playfulness and sternness. "Pikapi." (Ash.)

Ash sighed, knowing he couldn't fool his friend. "Ok, we can stop for a while."

"Pika." (Good.)

Ash carefully lowered himself down on the side of the road. There was a boulder there, so he leaned his back against it gratefully. Pikachu leapt onto his lap and curled up. He smiled at his trainer and closed his eyes. Ash smiled and rubbed the pokemon's back, then closed his eyes restfully.

- - - - -

"Hey, where are we?" James asked with a dumbfounded look on his face. He stood in the basket of the Team Rocket Balloon, Jesse standing next to him and Meowth sitting on the floor.

Jesse rolled her eyes in disgust. "We're in Hoenn, you idiot," she said angrily.

"I know that Jesse," James said, still letting his eyes wander around their surroundings, "But _where_ in Hoenn are we?"

"Wes never knows where wes are, so whys does it matter now!?" Meowth asked impatiently. He stood up and leapt onto the edge of the basket. "We're supposed to be looking for new pokemon!"

"Well, shouldn't we know where we are when we do that?" James asked, looking at them for an answer. Jesse growled and smacked him on the head with her paper fan. "It doesn't matter!" she fumed. "Just look for some pokemon!"

James rubbed his head and whined, "Ok, ok, just don't hit me!" Jesse folded her arms and pursed her lips.

Meowth rolled his eyes and fixed his gaze on the ground. They widened when he saw something.

"Heys guys, look!" Meowth said, pointing.

"What is it, Meowth?" Jesse asked, looking in the direction he was pointing. When she saw what it was she clasped her hands together and gasped with glee.

"It's the twerp and the Pikachu!" she said with a high-pitched voice. She clenched her fists. "Let's go get him!"

James finally stopped rubbing his head and looked down at the sight. His eyebrows knitted with confusion as he frowned. "Hey, are they all by themselves?" He paused to think. "Last time we saw them, the older twerp wasn't there, but now where's that girl twerp?"

Jesse realized that he was right and thought about it. "Hmmm… I don't know…"

Meowth continued to stare at their victims. "Maybes theys finally got sick of each other and separated," he said.

"No, that can' be it," Jesse said matter-of-factly. She put her hand on her chin. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter." She grinned evilly. "All that matters is that twerp is alone with Pikachu, and his friends can't help him!"

"Yeah!" Meowth leaped for joy. "And now wes can tries our new machine!"

James smiled and pointed at the sky. "Let's go!"

- - - - -

Ash dozed as he sat there. It felt good to let his body rest, but it didn't help his heart.

_Well, I can never tell her how I feel now,_ he thought. He opened his eyes and blinked to focus them. He watched Pikachu's chest rise and fall with his breathing.

He took a small breath. _I hate that I can never see her again…_ His chest pained as his heart beat sounded in his ears. _But if that's what she wants… I'll do it._

Suddenly, his heart jumped into his throat with surprise as a clamp wrapped itself around Pikachu's body. The pokemon woke with a start, and yelled. Before either of them could do anything, Pikachu was dragged up by the clamp.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled with panic. He looked up as the pokemon was dragged away from him, and his eyes widened when he saw it pull him into Team Rockets' balloon.

All three Team Rocket Members laughed. Jesse and James stood back to back and began reciting their motto.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"Do denounce th-"

"Shutup!" Ash yelled. He jumped to his feet, his fatigue completely ignored as he stared up at them with his thoughts only on Pikachu.

Jesse clenched her fists and fumed. "Don't EVER interrupt the motto!" she screamed, stomping a foot.

"Yeah, it's our trademark!" James whined.

Ash waved an arm. "I don't care!" he yelled. "Just let Pikachu go!"

"No ways, twoip," Meowth said. He jumped onto the edge of the basket and folded his arms. A second later, Pikachu was lifted into sight, standing in a glass case that was attached to a machine.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled in desperation.

Pikachu looked around in fear, then began setting off a thunderbolt so he could escape. Nothing happened, so he panicked and tried again. It didn't work.

Jesse laughed. "Shock all you want, Pikachu," she mocked. "You're only giving us more power."

"Yeah, thanks fors the charge, Pikachu," Meowth said. He jumped off the railing of the basket and onto the machine that Pikachu was attached to. He pressed a button, and a foot long laser came out of the front and pointed at Ash.

"If you use your electricity, you give us more power," James said as he folded his arms.

"This machine takes thunder attacks and super powers them!" Meowth said as he pushed another button. "Now, wes can teach your little twoip friend a lesson for interrupting the Team Rocket Motto!"

Meowth put his paw on a lever on the machine and pulled it slightly. He looked down at his victim with an evil smile, and pressed another button.

The laser lit up, and electricity danced around it before and a bolt shot out and engulfed Ash's body. He screamed in agony as it coursed through every part of him. He couldn't think at all; all he could feel was pain.

When it stopped, Ash fell to the ground on his stomach. He groaned and shakily tried to lift himself up onto his arms. He managed to get himself on his trembling hands and knees and breathed heavily. Team Rocket laughed as Pikachu banged on his glass prison and tried to get out to help his trainer.

"Now you know not to mess with Team Rocket again!" Jesse said with an evil smile. She glared down at Ash. "We have Pikachu, and you can't stop us!"

Ash lifted his head and looked up at them. He could see Pikachu trying to escape without success.

"No…" Ash said hoarsely. He forced himself onto his feet, wincing at the effort. He wavered as he became light-headed. He closed his eyes briefly until he could think, then balanced himself on his feet and looked up at them. "Just let Pikachu go!" he called.

"Not a chance," James said mockingly.

"Ok, let's get out of here before something goes wrong and we lose Pikachu," Jesse said.

Meowth shook his head. "No way, wes needs to give this little twoip another shock to teach him a lesson!" Meowth insisted.

"Ohhhh! Let me do it!" James said. He rushed to the machine and tried to pull Mewoth off of it.

"Heys! Let go!" Meowth said as he kept a firm grip on the machine.

"Stop it you twits!" Jesse yelled with frustration. She tried to pry Meowth off of the machine while trying to get James to let go of the cat pokemon.

In the commotion, Meowth moved his foot aside and didn't notice as it hit the switch by Pikachu. The glass that imprisoned him opened, and the yellow mouse's ears perked as he saw that he was free. He took his chance, leapt onto the edge of the basket and jumped out.

All the Team Rocket Members screamed as they saw it. "He's getting away!" Jesse yelled, trying to push past the other two. As she did, she knocked James away, making him let go of Mewoth. The cat pokemon landed back on the machine, accidentally pushing the lever to its max power with his arm. It started wobbling, then a screech sounded as small hole burst on its side.

"Ahhh! The machine!" James yelled. As smoke came out of the hole, Meowth immediately tried to get away from it, not realizing that as he did, his paw pressed the fire button.

- - - - -

Misty was pulled out of her thoughts abruptly as she heard a loud scream ahead of her. Her head shot up in the direction, and her heart jumped into her throat as she realized who it belonged to.

"Ash!" she screamed. She broke into a run. _No, he's in trouble!_ she thought, her heart beating faster. _What's going on!?_

It only took a minute for the scene to come into her view. She stopped as she saw Team Rocket's balloon hovering about twenty feet above the ground, with some kind of weapon pointing out of it. She could see Pikachu up in it, all three Team Rocket members laughing.

_No, not them again, _Misty thought with frustration and disgust. She looked at the ground by the balloon to see if Ash was there.

She gasped as she saw him lying on the ground. Her chest hurt as she watched him struggle onto his hands and knees, then managed to stand and yell at Team Rocket. She wasn't sure what happened, but she guessed that he was hit by their weapon.

_What do I do!?_ She thought frantically. She started breathing quickly. _They have Pikachu, and Ash is hurt!_

Before she could decide, her head shot back up as she saw a commotion in the balloon. Team Rocket looked like they were arguing, and she saw Pikachu jump out of the side of the basket. She felt slight relief as she saw his escape, but it disappeared quickly as looked back up and saw the laser part of the weapon begin to glow. She looked down and saw that it was pointing straight at Ash. He was looking at Pikachu, and didn't see it.

Misty panicked; she didn't know what she was thinking, but she at least knew she had to help him. She managed to think of putting Togepi down before she proceeded, then ran out to Ash.

- - - - -

"Pikachu!" Ash called, relief plain on his face as he saw his yellow friend escape. Pikachu landed onto all four paws on the ground, unharmed. He looked at his trainer and smiled.

Just before either could approach the other, they heard a small explosion in the balloon. Their heads shot up, and as soon as they did, they saw a huge beam coming out of the machine. Ash's eyes widened and he froze, knowing he had no time to move out of the way.

Just as suddenly as the beam came, Ash saw something blur in front of him and block his view. A split second later, an ear-piercing scream sounded as the attack hit whatever was in front of him. The bright light made his arm fly up to his eyes and cover them.

After the machine shot its electric attack, it overloaded and exploded. Gray smoke was everywhere as the balloon blew into pieces, and Team Rocket went flying.

"Looks like we're blasting off again!" they yelled, hanging on to each other. They flew high into the sky and disappeared.

Ash just stood there and tried to calm his pounding heart with deep breaths. Everything happened so fast that he had no idea what happened.

Finally, he lowered his arm from his eyes and opened them. He stared blankly ahead and tried to process everything. He paused when he remembered that the second beam didn't hit him; it hit something else.

Still breathing heavily, he slowly looked down to see what it was.

His breath caught and his heart stopped; Misty lay completely motionless on the ground in front of him.

"Misty!" Ash yelled. He immediately kneeled down by her side, half because he wanted to see if she was ok, and half because his legs gave out underneath him from shock. He couldn't believe it was her; she followed him, and now she had just saved him.

"Misty!" Ash yelled frantically. His vision started to blur and his head hurt. He quickly took one of her hands in both of his and stared at her still face. Pikachu was by Ash's side in seconds. His small, horrified eyes fixed on the girl who lay in front of him.

"Misty!" Ash called, squeezing her hand. His vision was clearing, but it became foggy again as his eyes filled with tears. He didn't see any signs of movement coming from her; he couldn't even say she was breathing.

_No…_ Ash thought desperately. _No, please Misty… don't die…_

"Misty," Ash choked, hot tears rolling down his face. He put a shaky hand on her peaceful face.

"Misty," he pleaded. He stroked her hair, hoping desperately that she would respond. "Misty, please answer me…" But no matter his pleas, she just lay there, unmoving.

Ash's heart sank like a stone in water as he tried to tell himself that Misty wouldn't wake. He couldn't feel anything but his head pulsing and his heart beat hurting his chest. He tried to say something, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came but a sob. Pikachu's face was now drenched in tears and his ears couldn't droop any further.

Ash closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. _This is all my fault…_ he thought. He shook his head, hating himself. _I shouldn't have run away like that._ He tried to breathe through his sobs._ Why did she even follow me? Why did she do this?_

He sank further into despair until he almost couldn't feel himself anymore. He just squeezed her lifeless hand, his mind drowning in thoughts of never seeing her again.

_You hate me…_ he thought desperately. _Why would you do this..? You hate me!_

Through all of his thoughts, Ash's eyes shot open as he felt something. He fixed his eyes on his hand that was holding Misty's. He stared, blinking tears out of his eyes so he could see. He waited, hoping it would happen again. When it didn't, he thought that he imagined it.

But a second later, he saw her finger twitch. His breath caught and his heart lifted faster than the speed of a flying Pidgeot. His eyes switched to her face.

"Misty?" he said, his voice quivering with desperate hope and excitement. When she didn't respond, he used his other hand to gently stroke her hair, his heart beating faster with every second. "Misty?"

Misty's mouth made a small twitch, and her eyes cracked open. When she felt herself awake, she wished she wasn't; she was in so much pain that she felt like someone had dropped a boulder on her and crushed her entire body.

Through the pain, she could feel something gentle on her head. It slightly stroked her hair, giving her comfort and helping some of the pain to subside.

She made an almost inaudible groan, and could hear a voice in the distance. She couldn't tell what it was, but blinked her half open eyes as she saw something above her. The vision became more clear, and the voice got louder. Finally, she recognized Ash's voice saying her name.

She blinked her eyes again, making her vision come into full focus. Sure enough, she could see Ash's tear stained face looking down at her, a huge smile on it. Pikachu was next to him, looking at her with his ears perked up and a wide smile.

Misty blinked one more time to make sure she was really seeing what she thought. "Ash…?" she said weakly.

"Yeah, it's me!" Ash said with a quivering voice. He gently squeezed her hand and laid his other hand on the side of her head. Misty then realized that what she felt earlier was his hand gently stroking her hair. Ash took a quivering breath and tears of relief escaped his eyes.

Misty's eyebrows slightly scrunched up when her head pulsed. It wasn't because of Ash's hand; actually, his touch kept it from getting worse. She momentarily turned her gaze to Pikachu and saw his teary face looking at her with a relieved smile.

Misty looked back at Ash as she heard his voice. "Are you ok?" he asked gently.

Misty tried to think about it. Her thoughts weren't clear, and she felt like she was going to pass out. She knew she wasn't ok, but she said, "I don't know…"

Ash took a quick breath and said quickly, "Maybe you'll feel better if you sit up."

Misty didn't argue as she let him put his arm under her back and around her shoulders and gently lift her up. Misty's head swam and she winced as her pained body was moved. Even though it hurt, her heart felt warm as she realized that she was in Ash's arms.

Ash quickly but carefully leaned her back against the boulder that he was leaning against earlier. He carefully removed his arm and watched her closely, taking her hand in both if his and squeezing it gently.

Misty's face scrunched as she winced. She kept her eyes closed and tried with what little strength she had left to stay awake. She could feel as Ash gently squeezing her hand, and she used it to keep herself conscious. "It's ok Misty, just take a deep breath," she heard him say in a shaky voice.

Misty did what he said, but the breath was shallow; she couldn't make it too deep without it hurting.

Ash just sat near her, his pained and worried eyes never leaving her face. He gently rubbed her hand to make her feel better, his heart beat hurting his chest as he saw her in so much pain.

Misty, finally able to trust herself to stay awake, slowly opened her eyes and looked at Ash. His eyes were full of more anguish than she had ever seen. She blinked hazily, and was about to say something, until she heard something on her left.

Everyone turned their heads and saw a chirping Togepi approaching them. "Toge Toge Toge Toegpriii!" (Mommy! You found Daddy!) she said, waving her little arms.

"Pipipi! (Togepi!)" Pikachu said with shock. He immediately ran to the egg pokemon that was now a few feet away from them. He stopped her so she wouldn't get too close to her injured mother. Togepi just chirped at the sight of her friend Pikachu and didn't resist as the electric mouse brought her a few feet away and placed her so she couldn't see Misty. She put her full attention on him as he started making funny faces to distract her.

Ash sighed in relief and returned his attention to Misty. She kept her gaze on the two pokemon for a second longer before looking back at him.

Misty's vision was clear now, even though her head still swam and the rest of her body was still in agony. She looked at Ash's face and was worried as she saw tears still spilling from his eyes; he was looking at her like he thought she was going to die.

She took a small breath and said weakly, "Ash?" He immediately gave her his full attention.

"What's wrong..?" she asked. Her head pulsed as she talked. "You… don't have to be upset… I'm ok."

Ash closed his eyes tightly and looked at the ground. He took a labored breath.

"I'm sorry…" he said, his voice cracking. "I… I was just so worried." He started shaking, and his tears wet the ground.

Misty's eyes moistened as she saw him in this state. _Why is he so upset?_ she thought, wishing that she could stop causing him so much pain. _I yelled at him and hurt him so much… Why is he so upset about me?_

"Ash…" she whispered, one of the tears now rolling down her cheek. Ash lifted his head, but didn't look her in the eye as he took short, painful breaths through his sobs.

"Ash, it's ok… I'm ok…" she tried to reassure him. Ash finally looked in her eyes and took a deep breath. He stopped shaking, and his breathing leveled a bit.

He squeezed her hand tighter and slightly shook his head. "Why?" he whispered. "Why did you save me?" He took a shuddering breath. "You hate me…"

Misty shook her tired head. As she did, Ash's breath almost stopped. He stared at her, confused.

"No, Ash…" she said quietly, her eyes drooping. "I… I don't hate you…"

Ash just stared at her with surprised eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _She… doesn't hate me?_

Misty forced her drooping eyes open before she continued. "I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean any of the things I said…"

Ash was astonished. Along with the fear and worry he was feeling, he now felt shocked.

He began to stutter as he tried to respond. "But- you… I-"

Misty squeezed his hand gently. He glanced at their hands and became silent right away. He looked at her.

Misty stared into his hurt and surprised russet eyes and said, "I was just mad… I didn't mean any of it…" She paused. Her heart beat faster with nervousness as she tried to continue.

She took as deep of a breath as she could before she continued. She ignored her head as it pulsed from her talking, and said, "I just yell at you because I'm used to defending myself with anger… You don't deserve to be treated the way I treat you." She stifled a sob. Ash's eyes never left hers; he was still as he listened.

"And I didn't mean it when I said that I didn't know why I care about you…" She looked down. "I… don't see how a person _can't_ care about you."

She lifted her free hand with an effort and put it over Ash's. She looked at them as she squeezed both of them. "But I do know why I care…" She wanted to stop herself, but didn't; she had to say it.

"I do because…" She looked at his face.

"I love you."

Ash froze; the only thing he felt was his heart beating in his ears as he stared at her face, another tear escaping her cerulean eyes.

_I… I can't believe it…_ Ash thought, his heart lifting. He wanted to say it back, but when he opened his mouth, the words wouldn't come. He forced them to, his heart beating fast in his chest.

"Misty…" he said softly. At his sweet voice, Misty broke down into sobs.

Ash lifted one of his hands and stroked her hair gently. His touch calmed her, and her sobs subsided. She took a breath and looked into his eyes.

His russet eyes sparkled and a sweet smile spread across his lips.

"I love you too."

Misty became still; she no longer felt the pain that racked her body. She only felt pure shock. Gradually, it was replaced by a warm flow of joy as it spread throughout her body like a wave.

As the joy overcame her, her lips lifted into a smile. She only felt happiness as she stared into his eyes, all emotional and physical pain unnoticed.

Ash continued to hold her hand in both of his and smile at her. They just stared, enjoying the feeling of finally telling the other how they felt, and the joy of knowing the other felt the same.

Finally, although Misty was still happy, her body reminded her that it was injured. Her eyes began to droop, and she felt exhausted.

Ash noticed, and started to get worried again. "We should get you to a doctor," he said. Misty just nodded weakly as her head pained. Ash carefully put one of his arms around her shoulders and the other under her legs. He picked her up and held her bridal style, letting her rest her fatigued head against his chest. He looked at her closed eyes and, even though he was still worried, he knew that she was going to be ok; she just needed rest.

Ash made sure she was comfortable, then turned around to see Pikachu still distracting Togepi by making little hand puppets.

"Pikachu," Ash said. The electric mouse turned to his trainer. He gave his full attention when he saw Misty in his arms.

"I think Misty's gonna be ok," he started, "But we're going to find that Pokemon Center and get her some help." Pikachu nodded, and took Togepi's small paw in his own. The baby pokemon chirped and didn't resist as her friend started leading her over to the teens.

Ash turned around and looked at the road. He was about to head down it when he remembered something.

He smiled sheepishly as he realized he didn't know which way to go. He stared at the road and felt stupid as he tried to figure it out.

Although her head wasn't clear, Misty sensed his confusion; she smiled with her eyes still closed.

"You're so helpless."

Ash looked down as he heard her speak. A smile spread on his lips at the comment and he chuckled.

Misty kept her eyes closed and listened to the soft rhythm of his heartbeat. It soothed her mind and helped her to ignore her pain. As she did, she said quietly, "You're going the right way; I remember what the map said."

Ash's heart lifted; he just looked at her closed eyes and smiled. He leaned his head down and kissed her forehead. Misty's eyes stayed closed, but her smile grew.

Ash's stomach burned as he watched her face. He took a deep breath, looked at the road and started walking, Misty resting peacefully in his arms. The two pokemon followed behind them, Togepi chirping and Pikachu, who had heard everything that was said between the two, walked along with a big smile.

- - - - -

I hoped you liked it. I didn't really like putting Team Rocket in it because they get on my nerves in the show. All they do is try to steal Pikachu and get blasted off all the time. But I thought it would be good for this story. Please review.


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